After globe-trotting around McCann’s foreign offices, Donald Dillon is coming home. The chairman of McCann Spain and area director of Eastern Europe is returning to New York to replace James Heekin as chief executive of North America.
“This is my home. I know the business here,” said Dillon. “You can take the boy out of New York, but it really is ingrained in my soul. I think what I’ve done is bring a sort of New York attitude overseas.”
Dillon, 53, joined McCann in New York in 1976 and later held top posts in the Philippines, Japan and Spain.
“I think an agency works best when the key managers and the creative directors can finish each other’s sentences,” said Dillon, who will lead the agency’s flagship New York office.
“He loves advertising, the creative process and also has a great sense of humor, a light touch, and is able to inspire people,” said Michael Sennott, 56, who becomes vice chairman of client services at WorldGroup, the Interpublic Group unit that houses McCann’s various operations.
Sennott’s former position, regional director of McCann-Erickson/Europe/Africa/Middle East in London, will be taken by Heekin, 48.
David Warden, 59, chairman of McCann’s U.K. Group of Agencies, will take on additional responsibilities as area director of Eastern Europe, succeeding Dillon. Arthur Tauder, 58, WorldGroup’s executive vice president, operations, has been named vice chairman, strategic planning and business development. All are effective April 1.
WorldGroup, meanwhile, made two acquisitions last week.
McCann Relationship Marketing Worldwide bought Medialog, a $50 million Copenhagen, Denmark-based direct marketing agency, and Dittborn & Unzueta, the largest direct marketing agency in Santiago, Chile, with $15 million in billings.
Stan Rapp, chairman and chief executive officer of MRM Worldwide, said all of McCann’s direct agencies around the world would be rebranded under the McCann Relationship Marketing name.
Dillon Returns To Run McCann In N. America
